A 35-year-old jeweller sustained critical injuries today after he set himself on fire on the divisional commissioner's office premises alleging that he was harassed by some officials of Varanasi Development Authority over demolition of his ancestral house.
Manish Aggarwal, who runs a jewellery shop, reached the office of the Divisional Commissioner here this morning. He then suddenly poured kerosene on him and set afire.
However, police personnel present there overpowered him, doused the fire and rushed him to a nearby government hospital, from where he was referred to BHU's trauma centre.
District Magistrate Rajmani Yadav visited Manish at the trauma centre. Divisional Commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn said it was being investigated what led him to take the extreme step.
A relative of Manish said VDA had served a notice on him a few years ago for the demolition of his old house in Chowk locality, which falls under the heritage zone.
The relative claimed that the matter was pending before the high court but VDA officials still put pressure on him over it.
